Bob Babbit

[cassanova]

i cant find it yet, only things im comming across by mandrill thus far are: moroccan nights, wind on horseback, fencewalk, spark mandrill, Can You Get It, Hang Loose, Love Song, and Smoke Weed.

Any of these youd recomend?

 

[JimK]

Originally posted by Brad Johnson
Yep, congas were big back then. In the bands I was in in the later 70's it was common for the entire band to play percussion instruments. Sometimes we'd come onstage playing them and then jump into a song. Ahh... memories

That's great!
Really, all musicians would be better served if they could play some percussion(ever notice how Latin-musicians, regardless of instrument, think like a percussionist?)
My advice: Pick up a relatively inexpensive set of bongos($50 or so)& a percussion book(even Hand Drums For Dummies or The Idiot's Guide To Playing Drums)...
The concept(s)-
1)Gain some independance between both hands; should help in slapping/popping.
2)Helps you HEAR how polyrhythms work & sound together(e.g. one hand plays in 4, the other in 5, etc).

I wish I had done this when I was young...I blame ot on my Va. neighborhood(I woulda been "OK" if I stayed in Philly!).

 

[cassanova]

Originally posted by JimK


That's great!
Really, all musicians would be better served if they could play some percussion(ever notice how Latin-musicians, regardless of instrument, think like a percussionist?)
My advice: Pick up a relatively inexpensive set of bongos($50 or so)& a percussion book(even Hand Drums For Dummies or The Idiot's Guide To Playing Drums)...
The concept(s)-
1)Gain some independance between both hands; should help in slapping/popping.
2)Helps you HEAR how polyrhythms work & sound together(e.g. one hand plays in 4, the other in 5, etc).

I wish I had done this when I was young...I blame ot on my Va. neighborhood(I woulda been "OK" if I stayed in Philly!).

Jim thats a damn good idea you gave me. My best friends a drummer and he's tought me quite a few rudiments/strokes and things of that nature. I never thought once to buy a cheap set of bongo's to slap them out on.

One thing id like to add to your post if I may, is I recomend to people to learn to alternate sticking patterns with there picking fingers as well. It helps out alot with gaining better independece on them

 

[Brad Johnson]

Originally posted by cassanova
i cant find it yet, only things im comming across by mandrill thus far are: moroccan nights, wind on horseback, fencewalk, spark mandrill, Can You Get It, Hang Loose, Love Song, and Smoke Weed.

Any of these youd recomend?

Fencewalk and Hang Loose are the big hits, the others are cool in their own way. They were a hard group to peg as far as categories, check out "Golden Stone", not exactly standard fare for a 70's Funk band

Forgot "Positive Thing".

You have PM

 

[cassanova]

Originally posted by Brad Johnson


Fencewalk and Hang Loose are the big hits, the others are cool in their own way. They were a hard group to peg as far as categories, check out "Golden Stone", not exactly standard fare for a 70's Funk band

Forgot "Positive Thing".

You have PM

I have no pm

 

[Brad Johnson]

I sent it again.

 

[cassanova]

Originally posted by Brad Johnson
I sent it again.

got it

 

[cassanova]

Originally posted by Brad Johnson


Fencewalk and Hang Loose are the big hits, the others are cool in their own way. They were a hard group to peg as far as categories, check out "Golden Stone", not exactly standard fare for a 70's Funk band

Forgot "Positive Thing".

You have PM

I just checked out Fence Walk

Its not to bad, not the best thing Ive heard, but its definatly note worthy. I like the spacy keyboard solo.

so this is sort of where funk started? some of its roots maybe? I honestly dont know, I know there were people before him that were funking but what Im asking is, was funk bass still in its early years and development?

 

[JimK]

Originally posted by cassanova
One thing id like to add to your post if I may, is I recomend to people to learn to alternate sticking patterns with there picking fingers as well. It helps out alot with gaining better independece on them

Yep, that's another 'good thing'...a bassist can learn paradiddles & then think of the main two plucking fingers(index/middle) as the drummer's "sticks".
Fun stuff, IMO.

 

[BassLand]

Hi All,

Bob Babbit is one heck of a nice guy besides being a great bassist. If you want to hear what he has said (written) on a forum, please check out

http://soulfuldetroit.com/forum/

I contacted Bob regarding Inner City Blues (from the WGO album) and the fact that I thought I could hear either 2 bassists on that record or one bassist overdubbing everother phrase (one starts before the previous one stops). Bob confirmed that he made 2 passes on that song.

Besides Bob Babbitt, there are posts from fellow Funk Brothers Dennis Coffee, Jack Ashford, Motown Engineers Russ Terrana, & Bob Olhsson, Philadelphia (MFSB) guitarist Bobby Eli and many others. I hung out for quite a while as a lurker before I got the style of the conversation down (so I would sound as if I belonged there). Subjects range from studio stories, claims of having worked for Motown on specific songs from the 1960's (there won't be any surprises there folks) and just all around great history "from the horses mouth" as they say...

Very interesting reading.

BL

 

[BassLand]

Hi All,

I fixed the link above so that you can click and go to

http://soulfuldetroit.com/forum/


Sorry for the dead link before

BL

 

[sc_precision]

Does anyone know what sort of bass was used on Alice Cooper's Go to Hell song? I know it was Bob Babbitt on that particular song. Sounds like a P bass?

 

[Michedelic]

Does anyone know what sort of bass was used on Alice Cooper's Go to Hell song? I know it was Bob Babbitt on that particular song. Sounds like a P bass?

All I’ve ever seen was that he was a Precision guy back in the day…

But used some boutique-ish stuff much later.

 

[Hot Rats]

It's also worth pointing out that he played on sessions for Alan Douglas, who (as you may or may not know) was Hendrix's 'producer' in the later years of Hendrix's life. After Hendrix died, the slew of material that had been accumulated was turned into a series of albums. Alot of the material wasn't finished. Alan Douglas brought in session musicians to finish rhythm tracks and rhythm guitar.
One of the bassists was Bob Babbit.
I have to say I find it quite strange that he said yes to the sessions. In my eyes, Bob playing on Hendrix's records is as sick as Kenny G deciding that he would release a record of him playing over Louis Armstrong's 'What A Wonderful World'.

I'm sorry, but when there is no acceptable excuse to tamper with the work of a genius. I would question the morality of any musician, regardless of status or skill who accepts the chance to play over a dead man's music.

How do other people feel?

Are you talking about people like Robert Trujillo and Mike Bordin?

 

[Michedelic]

Are you talking about people like Robert Trujillo and Mike Bordin?

Or Paul, George, and Ringo on “Free As A Bird” or “Real Love”?